Chapter 746

Briony first accompanied Stewart to the clinic to have his dressing changed. After that, he needed an IV drip, which would take at least an hour. She hesitated for a long moment before asking, "Will you be okay on your own?"

Stewart knew she was worried about Stella. "The nurses are here. You should go check on Stella. I'll come find you when this is done."

Briony nodded. "Alright. Call me if you need anything."

Stewart offered a faint smile. "I'll be fine. Go on."

With that, Briony said no more and turned, heading towards the inpatient ward.

...

When Briony arrived outside Stella's room, she raised her hand and knocked. The door opened quickly, revealing Cedric Clarke. He greeted her with a nod and stepped aside to let her in.

Briony returned the nod and entered the room. Stella was still fast asleep. Walking over to the bed, Briony gently placed a hand on her forehead. The fever had broken.

Cedric closed the door and came over. "Has she woken up at all?" Briony asked.

“She was awake for a little while around six this morning,” he explained. “She asked how her mother was doing. I couldn't lie to her, but I tried to be as optimistic as possible. After listening, she just nodded. Then she asked about Aster, and I told her I'd sent him to my parents' place for now, where there are more people to help. She said that was good. When I asked if she wanted to eat, she said she wasn't hungry, closed her eyes, and fell back asleep."

Briony understood. Stella wasn't just physically tired; she was emotionally exhausted, burdened by everything that had happened.

"You haven't slept all night, have you?" Briony observed, looking at Cedric. He looked grave and haggard, with dark stubble shadowing his jaw.

Cedric pinched the bridge of his nose. He was utterly exhausted, but even if he could lie down, how could he possibly sleep?

Briony sighed softly. "Why don't you go back to your office to rest and freshen up? I'll stay here with her."

While Cedric didn't want to rest, he knew he needed to shower and change. As the director of the hospital, he had an image to maintain. “Alright, I'll just go to my private lounge and change."

"Go on," Briony said with a nod.

...

A few minutes after Cedric left, Stella woke up, parched. Briony helped her drink half

a glass of water.

"Star, you need to pull yourself together," Briony said gently, sitting by the bed and stroking her friend's pale thin face. "Dr. Clarke knows he misunderstood you. The things he said in Sydney were just spoken in anger. Don't take them to heart. He regrets it all."

“I know,” Stella whispered, her eyes red-rimmed. “Bryn, I give up. I won't get a divorce."

Briony frowned. "This shouldn't be about giving up. You two need to communicate. Every couple has to learn to adapt to each other. With what's happened to Mrs. Joyner, it's up to you and your husband to work through the rest."

"Cedric always says I don't love him," Stella said, her gaze drifting to the ceiling. "Bryn, what does he really want? My love, or my surrender? To love him, do I have to put myself second to him and Aster?"

"That's not it," Briony insisted,

squeezing her hand. "I'm sure that's

not what he means. Maybe he just wants more of a response from you. For example, you love photography-try sharing that passion with him. You could ever ask for his input on choosing a school or new equipment. Let him be part of your dream, find common ground. He needs to feel valued, Star. Sometimes, when you keep

your love locked away in your heart,

the other person can't feel it."

Stella hesitated. Could it really be that simple? She didn't know, but she was willing

to try.

Back in his personal office, Cedric took the fastest shower of his life, changed into clean clothes, and shaved. He hurried out and made his way back to the inpatient ward Along the way, he called the Clarke family's housekeeper, asking her të.

prepare some chicken soup and a nutritious meal to be delivered to the hospital.

As he reached the room, he ran right into Stewart. "What are you doing here?" Cedric asked, his eyes falling on the bandages on Stewart's fingers. He frowned slightly. "And what happened to you?"